(30 JULY) The Middle East crisis will never end through military force or brokered peace agreements. But it can be resolved overnight once the war-torn region has a "lighthouse of coherence"—a group of 800-1000 people practising the peace-creating Vedic technologies of consciousness brought to light by His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Maharishi will deliver this message, and outline his plan to establish these groups in every major city of the world, including the UK, during a global news conference to be held on Wednesday, 31 July. Dr John Hagelin, world-renowned quantum physicist and Minister of Science and Technology of the Global Country of World Peace, will also speak during the news conference. Dr Hagelin will present the extensive scientific research, published in the world’s top journals, which demonstrates that group practice of Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying reduces the acute ethnic and religious tensions that fuel crime and violence, and promotes peace throughout society.

In a recent interview with the Jerusalem Post, Maharishi dismissed the arguments justifying the bloodshed that have arisen on both sides of the Middle East conflict. Maharishi said, "Killing, for whatever reason, is killing—and killing is always a sin. That is the truth of every religion. Harm anyone and the gate of hell is open to you after life; do virtuous things and the gate of heaven is open. And to the president of a country who says, ‘But I have to do this killing,’ fine: do it and the gate of hell will be open to you as well."

Maharishi said the Middle East conflict is created by ignorant people, not by religious differences. "Deep within everyone is the light of God, which every religion has been teaching throughout time. But somehow the whole majesty of God’s grace fell into the hands of the incompetent leaders of the world who say, ‘This is my country, and if you enter into my country I’ll kill you.’ It’s barbarism—and the world has had this throughout the ages. Physiologically, all men are almost the same—and deep inside everyone is the same field of pure consciousness. Man is made in the image of God. The fight is not a religious fight: it’s the fight of absurd people," Maharishi said.

# # #